Rock the Bells 2008 (I believe it was 08...)
Blackalicious with Gift of Gab, with full band. My GOD the keyboard player stole the show. I went home and got their albums and was slightly disappointed that the album versions didn't have the same ... gusto... as the live show. Still great work, but I wish I had recorded that show.
I saw them open for Del and Hieroglyphics (the whole team). That was also a sight to see. I've seen Del, Casual, A Plus, Opio all separately since, but nothing beats them all on stage together. One of their kids (Tajai I think) rapped for a minute. He was less than 10 years old for sure... and we loved it. Crowd went nuts for him. :P
That all lead up to Rage Against the Machine, playing together for the first time in years, and then WU TANG Clan. Wu Tang was pretty cool. They had a ton of folks and I was pretty unfamiliar with who everyone was. Although I could tell who the fugly dude with the clock around his neck was
Also at that show was the Coup, which were pretty good. Boots Riley is a fun entertainer.
MF DOOM no-showed. Not even an impostor. Oh well/whatevs.
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Aesop Rock put on a sick ass show that I saw last year in Reno. He's Aesop Rock, he's amazing. A good couple freestyles, a solid set, and one of the more active and lyric-knowledgeable crowds I've ever been apart of.
There's a live recording of Aesop in Asheville, North Carolina that I downloaded and kept because it was really a great show. He did 'Float' over NightLight's beat. He did a savage freestyle. "Mom called, where can I find ya. Smokin weed in a hotel in North Carolina! <crowd goes nuts>"